Former ‘Power Rangers’ actor sentenced to six years in prison for killing roommate

An actor who once held a starring role in one of the “Power Rangers” series was sentenced to six years in prison Thursday for killing his roommate with a sword, officials said.

Ricardo Medina, 38, received the sentence two weeks after pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter in the 2015 slaying of Josh Sutter, with whom he shared a home in Green Valley, according to Greg Risling, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.

Medina was charged with first-degree murder in 2016, one year after the fatal clash with Sutter. Prosecutors have said Medina and Sutter became embroiled in an argument, and Medina grabbed a sword he kept in his room and stabbed his roommate several times after Sutter attempted to break down his door.

Medina initially claimed that he acted in self-defense.

Aside from one-off appearances on “CSI: Miami” and “ER,” Medina was mostly known for portraying the Red Lion Wild Force Ranger in the children’s show “Power Rangers Wild Force” from 2002 to 2003. He also played the villainous character Deker in “Power Rangers Samurai” in 2011 and 2012, according to his IMDb.com profile.

Sutter, 36, moved to Los Angeles in 2011 to help his sister, Rachel Kennedy, open a business specializing in the sale of rescued dogs. The home where the stabbing took place was meant to be a haven for the dogs, Kennedy said, and Medina began living there after she hired him to care for the animals.

james.queally@latimes.com

Follow @JamesQueallyLAT for crime and police news in California.

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